Basic Troubleshooting for Remediation Failures of Microsoft Patches

Product Version: 6.5.X.X

Overview

This article outlines the basic troubleshooting steps to resolve remediation failures related to Microsoft security patches in your environment using the Patch Management module.

Step 1: Check Patch Repository Reachability

1. Navigate to the Patch Management dashboard.

2. Under Security Patches, locate the Patch Repository information under the Status section.

3. Click on the repository status to check reachability to the patch source (Microsoft Patch Server or WSUS Server).

4. Ensure the "Reachable" status is True.
   

5. If False, the device is unable to communicate with the patch repository, which can lead to remediation failures.

Step 2: Validate Patch Availability on the Device

1. Access the device remotely.

2. Open Windows PowerShell with Administrator privileges.

3. Run the following command to list available updates:

   powershell -Command "(New-Object -ComObject Microsoft.Update.Session).CreateupdateSearcher().Search('IsHidden=0 and IsInstalled=0').Updates | Select-Object Title"

   
   

4. If updates are available, they should be listed.

5. If error codes appear, they must be resolved before proceeding with patch remediation.

Step 3: Verify Disk Space Availability

• Insufficient disk space—especially on the C: drive or the System Reserved partition—can cause patch installation to fail.

• Ensure adequate space is available for downloading and installing updates.

Step 4: Understand Common Failure Reasons

A. Windows Update Service Disabled

Error Message:

The service cannot be started either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it. (0x80070422)

Resolution:
Enable the Windows Update service and retry remediation.

B. Pending Reboots

• Patch remediation may fail if a previous update is pending a reboot.

• Reboot the system and attempt remediation again.

Step 5: Run Windows Update Troubleshooter

Navigate to:
Settings → Update & Security → Troubleshoot → Windows Update

Follow the on-screen instructions to detect and fix common update issues.

Step 6: Review Windows Update Logs

Run the following PowerShell command to generate a readable Windows Update log:

Get-WindowsUpdateLog

Step 7: Temporarily Disable Antivirus

• Certain third-party antivirus programs may block or interfere with patch installation.

• Temporarily disable the antivirus and reattempt patch remediation.

Conclusion

Following the steps above should help identify and resolve most basic issues related to Microsoft patch remediation failures. If issues persist, please collect the relevant logs and contact support for further investigation.